Safety device for switch-stands.



C. W. HOLDERBAUM & H. KRAFT.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR SWITCH STANDS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 7. l9l3 Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

C. W. HOLDERBAUM & H. KRAFT.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR SWlTCH STANDS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 7. 1913' 1,154,513. PatentedSept. 21, 1915.

2 SHEETS'SHEET 2.

awuamtow COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH to, wAsr-lmnjoq c4 o AnLns w. norl'nnn AUM AND HARRY KRAFT, or WARREN, ARKANSAS.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR SWITCH-STANDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

application filed January 7,1313, Serial Ho. 740,6'Z9

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES W. H0n- DERBAUM and IIARRY KRAFT, citizens of the United States, residing at VV-arren, in the county of Bradley and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Switch- Stands, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in switch stands and the object of our invention is to provide a switch stand which will insure absolute safety in the employment of the switch.

A further object of our invention is to provide a switch'stand of the type inwhich a target having angularlyflisposed' varied colored vanes is'employed to give'a warning of the position of the switch in which the switch must not only be absolutely closed in order to display the safety signal but in which the switch points must be also locked in proper position. In switch stands of this general type, the switch points are operated by a connecting rod joined to the points and to the crank arm of a vertical shaft upon the upper end of which the target is secured, this shaft being turned by means of a lever pivoted intermediate its length between ears carried by a collar keyed upon the shaft, this lever being arranged to swing into vertical position at the extreme limits of its movement in either direction to seat in notchesformed in the peripheral edgeportion of a table carried by the. switch stand,

this seating of the lever in the notches looking the same and therefore preventing any movement of the switch points, Itwill of course be apparent that anyturning movement of the lever when in horizontal position will, cause a corresponding turning of the shaft and consequently of the vanes or blades of the target' With'this form of s it h per t ng me han sm howeve it is possible that the lever and target he turned to such an extent as to open the switch sufficiently to derail a train without turning the target to such an extent as to clearly display the danger signal. In order to overcome these objections, we provide means for turning the target to danger position upon the raising of the operating lever from vertical to horizontal position previous to the 'throwing of the switch and locking the target in a ge p ti n cau of this the danger Signal i w ys d p ayed befo e the switch points areunlocked and all possibility of accident is therefore avoided' And a still further object of our invention is to provide a housing about the table of the switch stand and the target operating means to protect the same from injury and also'to prevent all tampering therewith. I i

\Vith these and other objects in view,-our invention will be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and then specifically pointed out in the claims which are attached to and form a part of this application.

In the drawings: Figure l is elevation P i ly n s n of 1 mpr ved s itch stand, showing the switch in fully closed po- S ti i th ta g o posit oned as h dicate a safetrack; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary e v m ar to hat of ig 1, howing t e pos ti n of th oper ng le e immedia e y fo t v r w ne' h s i ch to open P sition and sho n t atth taret as already bee turned to display the danger signal; Fig. 3 is a ec ion on h ne 3-3 f Fig 2 an up n an enlarged scale, showing the target e ting hanism 1 pla 4 is a s eona i of a l r n nteg a y forme operating arm carried thereby usedin' actn} Mine the ta ge Fig 5 an nass uih ed perspe i w of he va ious pa t ma:- ing up the target operating]mechanism.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The preferred embodiment of our invention includes a switch stand 10 of the usual type provided with vertically alined bearings in which is journaleda switch rod or shaft 11, the lower end of which is provided with a laterally directed crank arm 12 and the upper end of which extends through a switch stand table 13 mounted" upon the Stand P p 0- h cr nk rm 1 is op,- eratively connected by means of the usual spring connecting rod li with the switch P ts one of hi i shown at 15- As e nstr tion th s ar described is of a well known conventional type any detailed explanation of the same deemed unnecessary.

T Pe p er ge f the tabl 13 is provided with notches l6 spaced degrees apart, this being the angle through which the s it 1 d l mu t h tur d to throw other, these notches being adapted to receive the switch operating lever 17 when disposed in vertical position to lock the switch in either opened 01' closed position. A collar 18 is keyed or otherwise secured against rotation upon the switch rod 11 immediately above the table 13 and is provided with a radially extending arm 19 and with an arcuate arm 20, the main portion of which extends concentrically with the peripheral edge of the table 13, the free end of said arm 20 terminating in slightly spaced relation to the end of the arm 19. lhese arms 19 and 20 are preferably cast or otherwise formed integrally with the collar 18 and the lever 17 is pivoted as at 21 between thefree end of the arm 20 and the arm 19. The arm 19 is provided with an arcuate extension forming a guard 22- which is also concentrically formed with respect to the table 13.

A housing orcasing 24, preferably formed of metal, surrounds and incloses the table 13 and collar and arms above described, being secured in place by bolts or other suitable fastening devices 24. As shown, the switch rod 11 passes loosely through the top of this casing and the downwardly depending flange or body portion of the casing is cutaway as at 25 to permit the swinging of the lever 17 from one notch to the other, the cut-away portion 25 being so arranged that whenthe lever is in horizontal position at any point intermediate between the notches, it will be held against downward swinging. Inasmuch as the lever 17 is pivoted intermediate its ends between the outerterminal of the arm 19 and adjacent terminal of the arcuate portion 20 of the collar 18, itwill be apparent that the collar, together with these arms and the guard 22, will be ro tated with respect to the table and casing 23 by the swinging of the lever. It will therefore be apparent that either the guard 22 or a portion of thearm 20 will at all times form a closure for the cut-away portion 25 of the casing and so prevent the insertion of any tools or the accumulation of dirt in the casing. The inner end of the operating lever may be provided with an eye 26 movable through relatively small openings 27 formed in the casing when the lever is swung to vertical position to receive a padlock or other suitable fastening device 28.

The above described switch stand and switch actuating mechanism is identical in operation with the switch stands of similar nature now in use and no description of the same is necessary. Our invention consists in a peculiar manner of mounting the target upon the switch stand and in providing an operative connection between the target and operating lever by means of which the swinging of the operating lever to horizontal position to release the switch will act to reverse the target. In order to accomplish this we turn or otherwise form the upper ex- 29 over said end, the lower end of the sleeve passingthrough the casing 23 and seating upon the top of the collar 18, this sleeve being l ree to rotate independently of the switch rod. The target, designated as a whole by the numeral 30 is carried by this sleeve and includes diametrically disposed white blades 31 and diametrically disposed red blades '32, the latter being set at right angles to the former.

A collar 33 rests upon the collar 18 and is secured to the sleeve 29 by a key or other suitable fastening device 34 in such a manner that all turning movement of the collar will be imparted to the sleeve and hence to the target. Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, is provided with a radially extending arm 34 having a downwardly directed terminal 35 provided in its free end with a cylindrical socket 36 adapted to receive the cylindrical stem 37 t of a swivel block 38. This stem is provided intermediate its length with an annular groove 39 adapted to seat the intermediate portion of a split pin 40 passed through alined perforations 41 formed in the termii nal portion 35 of the collar arm to hold the swivel block in swiveled. connection with said arm. The swivel block 38 is provided wlth' spaced apart perforated ears 42 betweenwhich is pivotallymounted one end of a link 43, the opposite end of whichis provided with an integrally formed tapered pin 44 adapted, under certain conditions, to engage in a bore 45 formed in the inner end of the operating lever 1.7. As best shown in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings, this link 45 is curved intermediate its length in such a manner as to permit it to seat upon the table about the collar, 18 when in operative position and when in this position is held against turningmovement by means of upstanding stops orlugs 46 formed upon the upper face of the table- 13. The outermost ot' the lugs 46 is -L-shaped as shown in Fig. 3, and the outer end of the curved link 43 engages against the lateral terminal of the L-shaped lug, 'and coacts with the collar 18 to lock the lever from movement in either direction. By this means the target is firmly locked from movement so long as the link 43 is in its downward position and disconnected from the lever 17. Under normal. conditions, that is, when the switch is closed asshown in Fig. 1,7the pin 44 0f this link is in en gagement in the bore 45 of the operating lever 17, while the latter-is in vertical position, being seated in one of the notches 16 of the table. Under these conditions it is impossible for the link 43 to become disengaged from the lever arm 17 as the latter,

This collar, as best shown in because of its multiple point engagement be tween the arms 19 and 20 of. the collar and between the sides of the notch 16, is held against all swinging movement. 7 At this point'it will be noted that the target is so set upon the sleeve 29 that when the switch is in the position above described, the white blades of the target will be disposed at right angles to the track and therefore clearly e.\- posed to view, while the red blades .being disposed parallel to the track will be invisible to the crew of an approachingtrain.

In operation, the operating lever 17 is manipulated in identically the same manner in which the operating lever of the conventional switch of this type is manipulated.

Upon swinging the lever to horizontal posi tion to unlock the same and permit'the turning of the switch rod 11, it will be apparent that the inner end ofthe lever will, through its connection with the collar 33 by the link 4t?) and arm 34, rotate the sleeve 29through an angle of 90 degrees to rotate the target and set its red blades at right angles to the track. The link 43 will now be seated between the stop lugs M) of the table and held against all swinging movement. The operating lever 17 may then be swung toward the other notch 16, this swinging movement of the lever releasing it from the pin 44 of the link. During this swinging movement, the lever is held in horizontal position between the table 13 and the casing 28 and the sleeve 29 is held against all possibility of rotation, due to friction between it and the revolving switch shaft 11 by the locking of the link 41-8 between the lugs 46. When the switch is fully opened, the lever 17 may be swung into the adjacent notch 16 and locked in place, if desired. During all this time, the target is in danger position and will remain so set until the locking lever has been released, returned to normal position, automatically engaging the pin 44lof the link 43 and swung to vertical position to seat in that notch 16 from which it was first released. Because of this construction, it will therefore be apparent that the target can display the safety signal only when the operating lever 17 of the switch is in vertical or locked position and seated in that notch in which it seats when the switch is closed. It is therefore impossible to even unlock the switch, let alone partially open the same without turning the target to display the danger signal and all possibility of derailment, due to switches which, while partially opened, are not fully enough opened to have materially altered the signal of the target, is avoided.

It will of course be understood that we do not wish in any way to limit ourselves to the specific details of construction illustrated in the drawings and described in the above specification, as minor changes in construction, may be made at any time desired, without in the slightest degree departing from the spirit of our invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A safety switch stand including a fixed table provided with spaced notches, a casing over the table having a slot between said notches, a shaft extending through the table and operatively connected to the switch, a collar keyed upon the shaft and provided with a radial arm and an arcuate arm adapted to close the casing slot, the free ends of which are spaced apart, an operating'lever pivoted intermediate its ends between the free ends of said arms and movable to extend in horizontal position between the arms to pass along the slot, of thecasing or in vertical position to seat in one of the notches of the table, a sleeve rotatable about the shaft, a signal, and actuating means co'-,act ing between the lever and signal.

2. A safety switch stand including a switch operating shaft, a housing surrounding a portion of the shaft, a collar carried by the shaft. and resting upon the bottom of the housing, a radially extending arm formed integrally with the collar and having an arcuate extension bearing against the inner peripheral face of the housing, an arcuate arm also formed integrally with the collar and bearing throughout the greater portion of its length against the inner peripheral face of the housing, the free end of said arcuate arm terminating in slightly spaced relation to that portion of the radial arm adjacent the arcuate extension, a switch operating lever pivotally connected intermediate its ends to the free end of the radial arm, the

housin havin its Jeri )heral wall rovided with a circumferentially extending slot and having its base provided with radial slots to permit swinging of the lever horizontally and at predetermined points vertically, the arcuate arm of the collar and the arcuate portion of the radial arm at all times forming a closure for the circumferential slot of the housing during horizontal swinging movement of the lever.

8. A switch stand including a circular table, a switch operating shaft extending concentrically through the table, a collar carried by said shaft and having arcuate arms forming the marginal Wall for the table, said arms, at one point, being spaced apart, a lever mounted between the spaced apart portions of said arms and movable horizontally to turn the shaft, a housing surrounding the table and peripherally slotted to permit'horizontal movement of the lever, the arcuate arms forming closures for the slot in all positions of the lever, a signal, and actuating means cooperating between the lever and signal.

4:. In a safety switch stand, a member having stops spaced apart and notches spaced apart, a switch rod rotatively supported, a signal support rotative independently of said switch rod, an operating lever movable relative to said switch rod and adapted to alternately engage in said notches, and connecting means including a link between said lever and signal support, said link being deflected laterally to cause it to be limited in its movement in one direction by the. switch rod and detachably engaged with the operating lever and adapted to be seated between said spaced stops when 'in one position to lock the signal support from movement. 7

5. In a safety switch stand, a member having stops spaced apart and notches spaced apart, a switch rod rotatively supported and carrying a collar, a signal support rotative independently of said switch rod, an arm carried by said signal support, an operating lever movable relative to said switch rod and adapted to alternately engage in said notches, and connecting means including a link between said lever and the arm of said signal support, said link being deflected intermediate its ends to cause it to engage said collar to limit its movement in one direction and detachably engaged with the operating lever and adapted to be seated between said spaced stops, whereby the signal support is locked from movement in either direction.

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES W. HOLDERBAUM. HARRY KRAFT. Vitnesses J. F. EDwARDs, H. i/V. JOHNSTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

